Transit grid



July 5, v1960 N. BEL. GEDDES TRANSIT GRID 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed A pril 2,

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LMT p lili "kt-- INVENTOR. NOPMAN BEL GEDDES BWM Mw f 4l/,w

ATTORNEYS.

v July 5, A1960 K N'. BELGEDDES 1 2,943,579

` TRANSIT GRID Filed April 2,v 4195'? Y 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 `FIG v JNVENTOR.

July 5 1950 N. BEI. GEDDEs 2,943,579

'TRANSIT GRID Filed April 2, `195'7 5 sheetsheet ,-5

.INI/EN TOR. A/OPMAN BEL 650055 July A5, 1960 N. BEL GEDDEs TRANSIT GRID 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed April 2, 1957 FIG. I l.

INVENTOR. /VRMAN BEL @50055 Bww Zx v Z'udl ATTORNEYS'- July 5, 1960 N. BEL GEDDEs TRANSIT GRID 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 F\G. I3.

Filed April 2, 1957 nited ,States Patent C@ '2,9 ds,s"1`i TRANsrr GRID Norman Bel Geddes, New York', NY.; Edith Bel Geddes, -1350 'Park Ave., NewYork 22,=N.Y.1, executrix of said Norman Bel Gsiddes,A deceased` g v Filed Apr. z, 1957,ser.Ne. 6so,rs1f1 fr s claims. (c1. 19d- 794) Ihis invention relates to improved means for handling mechanicalrapparatus especially-used in theatrical'productions, permanent or portable 'stage and studio prof ductions or the like. A l vj Its purpose and etect is to provide llexible, simple and uncluttered `means for lsupporting 4and `positioning the plan viwin Figure 1 as anar-ray of intersecting beamsv preferred embodiment measures four feet along each side. Each beam has on its upper surface a pair of parallel recessed tracks 'or grooves 12, 13 and 12a, 13ai'ndicated in Figure l and understood to extend the fullv length of the beams, into which a ball or disc wheel may be guided. YAt the` intersections of the beams, oneof mechanical apparatus required in1 such productionssuch Y.

as lightingequipment, cameras, .sound equipment, scenery, properties and people for repairs or other purposes) in a manner which will keep thezstage oor clear of `such equipment and of the accessories required to operate it. The invention lends itself, furthermore, tothe provision of an accurateV method of locating andfprecisely recording, in simple terms of three.` dimensions, the position which each unit of the equipmentoccupies or is to occupyfy Y The nature'and substance or principle of the -.inven tion is the provision of a transit gridfrom Vthe underside of which elementsof the equipment may be suspended and moved in any of three dimensions to the positions they are intended to occupy, and on the Vupper side of which other equipment elements are movably supported for movement in two horizontal dimensions above the grid and for vertical movement to project them, it' desired, through the grid. i

The attached drawings illustrate and the following text describes an illustrative embodiment of the invention p Figures 1, 2 and 3 illustrate the double track transit Figure 1 is aschematic plan view ot a portion of the transit grid;

Figure 2 is an enlarged delailed'plan view Vo f onevr intersection ofthe beams;

` Figure 3 is a sectionalpview of the beam taken at 3,-3 ofFigure 2; ,g j V "Figure 4 is a side elevation of 4anu'pper level lamp unit; -v V Figure 5 is a plan view of Figure 4;"

Figure 6 is a side elevation of a lower'level hoist unit;

Figure 7 isa planrview of Figure 6.; Y.

Figure 8 is a side elevation of a lower level camera unit;

Figure 9 is a plan view -of Figure 8; Y V

Figure l0 is a side elevation of an upper level spot light unit;

Figure 1'1 is a plan view of Figure 10;'

Figure 12 is a side elevation cfa lower level microphone unit; and I Figure 13 is -a side elevation of a personnel platform.` The transit grid isshown generally in a fragmentary which is shown in detail in Figure 2, the grooves are made to Vmerge into and cross each other so as to establish intersections or switching points 14 through which the ball or disc wheel mayk pass in a straight path or be switched 90 into a Vgroove on an intersecting beam.

A sectional view of a representative beam is shown in Figure 3 taken along 3 3 of Figure 2, in which'the grooves 12a and 13a are shown guiding and supporting two carriage support means such as a ball1'7 and 18. Each ball 1,7 or 13 provides a support point for the car# riage on the upper grid array. Y

Connected to the lower portion of beam 11 is a pair of Aangle beams 19 and 2t) to form a housing and track assembly for guiding a'movable carriage suspension trolley 21 toV depend apparatus from beneath the grid array, the angle beams beingspaced apart to afford an opening 25 between them. The trolley 21 is provided with two pairs i 'of ball bearing rollers 22 and 23 guided onV the horizontal and vertical legs of angle irons 19 and 20 respectively. The opening 25 provides a slot through which a support rod 24 may freely pass. At intersection points the slot or opening 25 branches into the intersected beams continuously so that a rod passing through the slot may be moved to any slot position beneath the grid array.

A typical piece of apparatus which has usefulness in being moved from location to location on the upper surface of the grid array is a ymultiple lamp instrument 30 shown in Figures 4 and 5. The carriage 32 comprises aV -four membered structure appropriately designed to house or support the desired studio apparatus above the grid on the balls 18. The carriage 32 appropriately may include carriage support members l16a or 16b described generally in connection with Figures 2 and 3. The illustrated lamp instrument 30 comprises four lamp units 31 which may'rbe moved across the -grid to a desired location manually by an operator using a guide pole from a position on the floor or along a catwalk not shown;'or by electric controls, direct or remote. The energized lamps will illuminate the area belowwith light passing through the opening between the beams upon the stage below.

'T The lowerlportion of the grid array may simultane- 'ously be used with the upper portion to support and guide studio equipment and apparatus which may be used only beneath the grid, such as a hoist 35 shown in Figures 6 and 7, for supporting and moving scenery or for moving furniture and other heavy apparatus about the stage. Thehoist 35 illustrated in these figures comprises afour point suspension carriager suspended from four carriage `trolleys 21 by four support rod members 24 described above. A drive motor mechanism 37 remotelyoperated with controls not shown actuates a pulley and cable 38 supporting apparatus attached to a hook 39. Y

Another type of stage and studio equipment which may be moved 'with speed and exibility beneath the vgrid is a remote controlled camera 50 shown inside elevatiorg ,ptentedduly Vs, iasoV in Figure 8. `In Figure 9, which is a plan view of Figure 8, is shown a twelve point suspension carriage 53 in the form of a cross. The twelve suspension contacts are deemed necessary because of the weight of such devices.

The camera carriage 53 is suspended from the carriageV trolleys 21 by twelve vertical support rod members M24. The carriage suspends a telescoping housing 51 at the end of which is connected the camera 50. The camera 50 isV movable to any desired height and attitude or orientation beneath the grid manually or by control mechanisms included generally in the motor operated drive mechanism 52 which may be'remotely controlled. The camera 50 is to assume a desired azimuth and tilt to direct the camera to view a desired scene or object.

, In Figures lO and 1l is shown a spot light instrument 60 supported above the grid on four support balls 18 in the manner herebefore described. The instrument is mounted on a carriage and comprises a cylindrical telescoping housing 61 which in its contracted position is shown in the upper portion of Figure 10. Motor operated drive mechanism 62, remotely controlled, extends thehousing 61 to a desired position (as indicated by the dotted lines) by projecting it down through the grid opening to a desired height above the stage iloor. The spotlight.63 is remotely controlled to a desired azimuth and tilt position to project the light beam on a desired object. 1f desired, the housing 61 may be kept in a contracted position as is shown in the upper portion of Figure l and the spot light 63 may be tilted so as to project its beam through an adjacent grid opening onto an object beneath the grid. Such a telescoping scheme of using an upper grid supported instrument may be adapted to the use of a camera instead of a spot light.

In Figure 12 there is shown in side elevation a microphone instrument 70 suspended beneath the grid by four support rods 24.' The carriage 72 includes the motor operated drive mechanism 73 for lowering or raising the telescoping suspension member 71 and a control mechanism `for adjusting the azimuth and tilt of the microphone 70, desired.

AAs a final illustration of the type of equipment which may be useful in the practice of the invention, there is shown `in side elevation in Figure 13 a personnel plat- :form 80 movably supported from a carriage 83 suspended `from the lower track of the grid by four support rods 24. The framework 82 is designed to be telescoped beneath the grid to position the platform on or above the studio floor by motor operated drive mechanism 81. The dotted lines in the upper portion of Figure 13 indicate the ex- -treme contracted position of the platform. Such a perfsonnel platform instrument may advantageously be used .by directors of the performance.

In operation, the transit grid may be used to rnove .equipment of various types from equipment storerooms vlocated near the staging area proper but which include an vextension of the grid so that at all times the equip- Anient even in storage is connected to the grid array and may be easily moved onto the staging area with the speed, 4simplicity and flexibility so essential to present day staging requirements. Although no mechanism or structure has been described for automatically moving these equipments upon Vthe grid, it is evident that with present day skills self-propelling motor means remotely controlled may be applied to the instruments villustrated to provide a studio which is truly an example of automation on the stage.

The invention lends itself to a numbering scheme for precisely b ut simply locating in terms of spatial dimensions a desired position for each piece of equipment. kFor example, each grid opening may be assigned a single Arabic numeral thereby defining a horizontal two-dimensional grid location. A letter of the alphabet maybe selected to establish the distance above Vor 'below the grid. Accordingly, if it is desired to position, for example, a camera such as described-in. Figures 8 and 9.on the 4 staging area for a certain time interval of the presentation, a notation such as '12C16 would be interpreted by vthe stage manager as meaning that camera 50 iS to be moved to grid opening 12 and lis to be lowered to a height C beneath the grid and focused on area 15. Thus, in a very simple manner a precise plan may be devised before the presentation of the p lay or like with complete assurance that the equipment will be in the location planned for.

Accordinglyfin the use and practice of the invention there Tis-proyided ,a `highly iiexible, efficient, simple yet accurate means for movingandpositioning studio equipment before, vduring 4and'after the period of stage and studio presentation.

I claim:

1. Means `for handling equipment of the character described having, in combination: two groups of equally spaced parallel rails, the rails of one group intersecting the rails of the other group at a plurality of switching points and forming a plurality of openings between adjacent rails, the rails being supported in a plane intermediate the oor and ceiling of the studio, the rails including upper tracks for guiding and supporting a carriage, a carriage movably supported above the plane of the tracks and rails by movable means in the tracks, a studio instrument supported by the carriage, means included in the carriage for lowering and raising the instrument through one of said openings when said carriage is in a fixed position over said opening, the carriage being movable to any such opening and transferable from one rail track to another through a switch point formed at the intersection of the tracks.

2. Means according to claim 1, wherein the track includes a pair of spaced parallel grooves formed in the upper horizontal surface of its rails extending parallel to its longitudinal axis, the grooves of each intersecting rail being formed into an intersection with a corresponding groove of its associated intersecting rail, and a ball bearing included in the `movable means of the carriage supported and guided in one of the track grooves, whereby two carriages may be guided and supported simultaneously side -by side on said rails, at least one of said movable means of each of said carriages being on the same rail.

3. Means according to claim l, wherein each of the rails includes lower tracks for suspending a second carriage, a second carriage movably suspended from the lower tracks, a second studio instrument suspended from the second carriage, means included in the second carriage `for lowering and raising the second instrument to position it for use, the second carriage being movable to a selected location beneath the rails and being transferable from one lower rail track to another through a switch -point at the intersection of the lower tracks.

4. Means according to claim 3, wherein the lower tracks comprise a pair of L-shaped beams connected to the lower portion of each of the rails forming a housing in which a carriage trolley may move, the L-shaped beams being spaced to provide a continuous opening parallel to the axis of its associated rail, a movable carriage trolley -within the housing of the L-shaped beams, the continuous opening crossing into corresponding co'ntinuous openings of the intersecting rails to form a plurality of switch points, a rod connected to the trolley and extending downwardly through the opening, and the second carriage being suspended by the rod.

5. In a studio for presenting stage plays and the like, a stage adapted to the use of a plurality of instruments, a plurality of mutually intersecting beams forming an evenly spaced grid network of square openings, each of the beams including upper and lower tracks, an upper ycontainer `movably supported on and above the upper tracks, one of said instruments in the upper container, means for lowering and raising said one instrument throughV an opening in the grid network, va lower contaner movably suspended from the lower tracks, another of said instruments in :the lower container and means for lowering and raising said another instrument to any point beneath Ithe grid network, said beams being provided with switch means including said upper and lower tracks to switch respectively said upper and lower containers from one path of track to another.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,287,759 Russell Dec. 17, 1918 yBartime July 22, Rapier Jan. 30, Moore May l0, Clayton Apr. 28, Shoemaker Nov. 29, Barrett Dec. 26, Lex et al Dec. 31, Ralston et al May 10, Nampa Nov. 4, Benson Aug. 2, 

